


Tell Me Another Lie

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Breakup, Coming Out, Cussing, Don't pretend to be straight then break up with your girlfriend cuz you're gay for her cousin, F/M, Hurt, M/M, feeeeeels, i mean pretty much, real wisdom kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2018-11-17 13:35:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11276349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: For three years, Lucina and Inigo have been the 'it' couple among their friends, the ones who their families are sure will get married someday.There's one tiny problem with that...Inigo would much rather be with Lucina's cousin.





	1. I Had to Tell You

**Author's Note:**

> aaaAAAA THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SMALL ONE SHOT NOW ITS A FULL STORY DAMMIT
> 
> I love shipping Inigo (slash Laslow) with a bunch of people, but nothing beats pairing him with Owain (slash Odin). They're both such nerds I can't handle it
> 
> I came across this prompt on Pinterest, it was simply two quotes:  
> < "Tell me another lie," she said.  
> "I love you," he said. >  
> Of course my mind instantly went "THAT THERES A GAY GUY" and my friend and I agreed that it would definitely be Laslow. However, we couldn't find any Fates characters that really suited the kind of reaction I wanted the girl to have. I could have used Elise, I guess (just because I think the other Nohrian royals' reaction would be fucking priceless), but we decided that the best option would be Awakening, and therefore Lucina.   
> Bonus for that: I like the idea of seeing Chrom's and Robin's reactions at their little girl being dumped for their eccentric nephew, and I mean, Lucina losing her boyfriend to her cousin, o u c h
> 
> So uh  
> Yup.   
> Enjoy my angsty breakup, and the aftermath, aaaand the fluff

A fantastic night.

The _best_ night.

What else could be expected? Inigo and Lucina had grown up together; they'd been friends all their lives, they'd been dating for three years. They knew each other like the back of their hands. They'd sparred and laughed and kissed, and they were so in love with each other. Their friends always teased them about their flawless relationship, their family always commented on how sweet they were together. They were every shade of white and gold, every tint of care and purity. They were every aspect of beauty. Together, they were living, breathing _perfection_.

Inigo made sure that everything- every bite at the overpriced restaurant, every star that glimmered off of her eyes, every flower they passed in the courtyard, every smile he gave her- would make this night the best one that Lucina had ever experienced. A perfect night for the perfect couple.

A perfect night. The perfect time.

He had to make her happy, happier than she’d ever been before.

So he could finally say it.

The fact that Lucina didn't notice things- things like how he couldn't look her in the eye tonight, how he kept drifting away and letting her carry the conversation, or how his voice was uneven and almost an octave too high- made him that much more sure that he had to do this as soon as possible, and that much more comfortable doing it, in a way. It was easier.

As they strolled through the garden behind Lucina’s home, she laughed and leaned against his shoulder. They were just talking, about anything, because they were close- closer than anything. It was easy for them.

It would be easy for him to do this, too, he just had to find a way to start. To bring it into the conversation, without it sounding forced or suspicious. He needed to get it over with, but he also needed to be careful.

Imagine his relief when his girlfriend, his obvious future, his friend, in general, made it so, _so_ much simpler for him.

“I can't believe we walked past the lake the very moment they launched off those lanterns,” Lucina gushed, waving the arm that wasn't looped with Inigo’s around for emphasis. “It was so breathtaking- they were like fireflies. Or- or stars.”

Inigo grinned, his gaze flickering momentarily down to her. “Yes, well, I am the king of timing. I planned it pretty well, if I say so myself.”

Lucina ‘pff’ed at him. “Liar. You so didn't arrange for us to pass it at the right time, you just got lucky.”

Actually, he had. The fact that she didn't believe him was just another load off his conscience.

“What, me, a liar?” Inigo pressed a hand dramatically to his chest, acting offended. “Do you really think so?”

Lucina laughed and stopped walking. Her boyfriend paused as well, obediently cooperating as she swung around to face him and held their hands up between them, twining their fingers together.

“I do,” she said teasingly, “but I like it.”

Inigo tilted his head to the side. _Do you really?_ He thought _. I think you're wrong._  
“Do you really?” He said.

“Of course.”  
Lucina moved up, standing on her toes, smirking slightly as she stared at him.   
“Lie to me again,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes.

“I love you.”

Lucina leaned back. “What?”

Inigo kept his sight fixed above her. He couldn't meet her gaze. Not as easy. Not as easy.

She laughed, the kind of laugh that's short and nervous, the kind you let out when nothing is actually all that funny. “That's a pretty bad joke, Inigo, even for you.”

“I- Um. It's not a joke,” he said quietly.

Lucina's anxious smile dropped completely. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Inigo wrung his hands (which Lucina had let go upon his admission), trying to remember how he had phrased it in his head. How he had justified it to himself, how he had figured out was the gentlest way to do this. “I mean, I do, Lucy. Always. Just- not romantically. Not like that.”

“Since when?”

“Maybe- probably… forever.”

Lucina should her head. Like she couldn't even begin to comprehend what the fuck he was trying to tell her.   
“So, for three years you went out with me and told me how you knew we were ‘meant to be’, and now you just don't anymore? Where is this coming from?”

“I…” He winced, knowing that this was the worst part. “There's somebody else. That I- I'm in love with.”

Lucina's voice dropped to a hoarse, furious tone. “Were you cheating on me?”

Inigo's eyes widened. “What-? No! Gods, no! I could never do that to you, that's why I had to tell you, Lucy-”

“Don't call me Lucy,” she hissed.

He flinched. “I'm- I'm so sorry. I only realized a few months ago how I really felt. I thought it would be fine, but I just can't do it. It wasn't fair to you for me to lie, and it wasn't fair to me to keep myself from being happy.”

“So, what. Does she even feel the same way?”  
Lucina had begun pacing in front of Inigo, alternating between glaring at him and the ground. “You seem convinced that you can't be happy unless you're with this person, but how do you know that she'll be in love with you, too?”

“He,” Inigo mumbled.

Lucina froze, her head snapping back up to him. “What?”

“It's a- a he,” Inigo said slowly. “That's the thing, Lucy- Lucina. I wish I could reciprocate your feelings for me, but I just. I don't think I _can_. With any girl. I'm in love with another boy… I- I'm gay, Lucy.”

For a solid minute, it was silent between them.

Lucina just kept shaking her head. Staring at him. Slowly, her eyes began to fill with tears, until she was full-on crying.

In front of her boyfriend. _My ex-boyfriend_ , she told herself. _Because he can't see me like that._

She was angry. So, so angry. He'd lied to her- for three years! One of her best friends, whom she trusted above anyone else. Who she was in love with. He'd lied to her.

He'd lied to _himself_.

That made her more sad.

Eventually she bit her lip and stood up straight. She sniffed and wiped her face on her sleeve, but her face was calm and serious again. She was so angry.

“What are our friends going to say?” She asked. “Morgan?”

Morgan. Her brother. He would fight back- he would be upset with her. Even if it was unfair. Even if he was Inigo's best friend, too. Even if this was nobody's fault- she needed to be mean. She was just furious.

Inigo, for the first time that night, looked her dead in the eye.

“He already knows.”

Lucina paled.

Her brother knew.

And didn't tell her.

“So this is it. You're in love with someone else. You suddenly realize you're gay, and you tell my fucking _little brother_ , and you choose _now_ to tell _me_.”

“I'm sorry,” he whisperd again.

“No. I just- don't. Stop apologizing.”  
She crossed her arms. “Next you're gonna be telling me it's someone I know.”

Inigo took a shaky breath and tilted his his head towards the sky.

Lucina dropped her hands to her sides again. “Who?”

“I don't think you want to-”

“ ** _Who?!_** ”

It came out as a shout. She did her best not to burst into tears again. “If I'm going to have to see my ex-boyfriend walking around being all lovey-dovey with somebody else I trusted, I think I _deserve_ to be warned! I just- tell me who you love, Inigo. I need to know who.”

“I don't want you to be upset with him.” He sounded pained. Like he knew this was going to be hard, but he was slowly wearing too thin anyways.

“I won't be upset with him.” Lucina took a step closer. “I…”

She sighed. Everything felt like it was fading. Her head hurt. And she was too tired to be angry any more. Too tired to act on it. What was the point, anyway? Nothing would change. It would only make things worse, wouldn't it?

“I promise, I won't be upset with him. I don't want to be upset with you, either, but that's more difficult. Please.”

“It's…”  
Shaky breath.   
“...Owain.”

Lucina held back her gasp.

Right. Her boyfriend was in love with her cousin the whole time. Right. _Right_. Of course.

“At least it's not Morgan,” she said, using every ounce of emotional strength she had left to shrug it off. _This is funny. This is fucking hilarious._

“Yeah. Heh.”

More silence.

“I'm so, so sorry,” Inigo repeated, and Lucina sighed.

“Don't say that. It makes me feel stupid. For not realizing.”

She turned away, towards her house.

“I… um. I need to go. Inside.”

Inigo shifted. “Right. Good night.”

Lucina nodded. “It was.”

They both walked in opposite directions. When Inigo glanced back, just for a moment, Lucina was gone. The garden was empty, save for himself.

“I lied again,” he whispered. To the roses. To the stars. To nobody. To her, though she couldn't hear him. “I do love you. You know that, right?”

He turned back around. His parents would be wondering where he was.

“It just isn't the way you want me to.”


	2. I Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo hates to think about his father, but this whole situation is just too close to home for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo kids. I didn't plan on doing a whole parental drama thing, but oh my gods it was just too fun NOT to write it. This chapter is a lot longer. 
> 
> Oh, and there are texting names used. They should be obvious, but if not, here they are.   
> Rose&Thorn - Inigo  
> TheExalted - Lucina  
> DatBoi - Morgan  
> Rawr - Nah  
> Cyn - Cynthia  
> BonBon - Yarne  
> SaltQueen- Severa
> 
> They're just the names I liked... I'm not sure what they themselves would pick. XD

When Inigo woke up the next day (admittedly later than usual; he'd had some trouble falling asleep the previous night), he was faintly confused. An odd ringing noise seemed to be playing repeatedly beside his head, presumably being what had finally roused him. He sat up and pushed his bangs back out of his eyes with a tired sigh, looking to his bedside table for the source of the sound.

It was nothing unusual, actually- just the text notification on his phone going off.

Over.

And over.

And over.

“Dear Gods, don't let it be what I fear it is,” he muttered, pushing his blankets aside and picking up his phone. The texts were arriving too fast for him to read them on the lock screen, so he swiped to the side and opened his messenger app, bringing up the group chat he and his friends all used to communicate with each other.

He took a deep breath and hit the “go to unread texts” that popped up, which scrolled for a solid ten seconds to get to the last thing he'd read.

 _10:47_  
Cyn: INIGO  
Cyn: I SWEAR TO THE GODS  
TheExalted: Cynthia stop  
Cyn: I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A PLATTER  
TheExalted: CYNTHIA, PLEASE  
DatBoi: is this what I think it is?  
Rawr: is what what you think what is?  
Rawr: why is everyone yelling??  
BonBon: I was trying to take a nap ;;  
Cyn: INIGO  
Cyn: ANSWER YOUR GODSDAMNED TEXTS  
TheExalted: CYNTHIA I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING IT UP  
DatBoi: crap   
DatBoi: it is  
SaltQueen: EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN  
BonBon: ow  
BonBon: language   
Rawr: because language is the main issue here…  
SaltQueen: uuUUUGH   
SaltQueen: just  
SaltQueen: calm your tits and explain, Cynthia  
TheExalted: no, do NOT explain, not yours to say  
Cyn: Inigo cheated on Lucina and he's going to DIE FOR IT  
Rawr: UM  
BonBon: WHAT  
TheExalted: NO  
TheExalted: NO NO NO  
TheExalted: WRONG  
DatBoi: he didn't cheat on her…  
Cyn: okay he broke up with her, STILL  
SaltQueen: Fun fact Cynthia, BIG FUCKING DIFFERENCE  
Rawr: I'm so confused  
Rawr: full story please??  
TheExalted: there's nothing that needs to be said.   
TheExalted: he said he just didn't feel the way he thought I wanted him to, and that he didn't want to keep lying to me or himself or anyone else.   
TheExalted: it's really nobody's business…  
Cyn: still doesn't explain why he dated you for three damned years and chose NOW to tell you…   
TheExalted: I mean, yeah, but   
SaltQueen: it's kinda a dick move  
DatBoi: it's not that simple   
DatBoi: maybe he's… Dealing with stuff  
Cyn: oh, yeah  
Cyn: sooooo much stuff  
DatBoi: just leave him alone, okay?  
DatBoi: jesus  
BonBon: whoah   
SaltQueen: why so defensive all of the sudden??  
Cyn: did he tell you something?  
TheExalted: just chill, okay?  
Cyn: Lucy, please  
Cyn: you were sobbing when you called me  
Cyn: asses have to be kicked  
TheExalted: yeah, but   
TheExalted: ugh  
DatBoi: Lucy, you're my sister, and I love you, but if you keep talking I may have to tie you to a doorknob

This was just a minimal amount of what had been exchanged. It ended roughly at 1 AM, then started up again at six in the morning, when Laurent had gotten the messages. Now the situation was being explained to Kjelle, and though Inigo had a lot of faith in his best friend, Morgan seemed to be wearing thin, and Lucina would probably give in eventually too.

Right. Right- he knew he'd have to explain this eventually. And gods forbid someone else did it for him.

Not through text, though. To hell with that.

He tapped the ‘video chat’ button.

Cynthia and Morgan picked up at the same time.

“Inigo!” Morgan looked relieved. And worried. “Thank Naga. I was worried you were gonna recede into a bout of depression and humiliation.”

Inigo winced. “Thanks for caring, Morgan.”

Cynthia broke in before his best friend could reply. “You have some serious shit to explain, Inigo, and if it's not seriously justified, I will not hesitate to strike your name from the records.”

By now, everyone else had joined the call.

Lucina ran a hand through her hair. Inigo noticed her red, tired eyes and instantly felt a pang of guilt. She was already trying so hard to forgive him, wasn't she?  
“You can't do that, Cynthia. You're not royalty.”

Cynthia snorted. “Have you told your parents, yet? I'm sure they'll do it for you.”

Shit. Chrom and Robin were very nice people, but they were also fiercely protective of their kids.

Like. _Fiercely_.

Morgan would probably have killed Inigo himself, but they were best friends, and Morgan also pitied him. _“You're gay, too? And you like Owain? Oh my gods. You're so screwed.”_

Lucina and Morgan both paled at Cynthia’s statement.

“I- I'll tell them once this is all sorted out,” Lucina said quickly.

Severa sighed. “Is anyone gonna explain why A: Inigo dumped Lucina after three years, and B: she's so scarily calm about it?”

“Shock?” Nah suggested.

“I am not in _shock_ ,” Lucina hissed. “Why are you guys so hung up on this? It's nobody else's business.”

“I mean, _technically_ …”

Morgan rolled his eyes. “Can't we just leave Inigo and my sister alone? Clearly this isn't what should be happening right now.”

Cynthia pounded her fist on whatever surface she was sitting in front of. “Because you don't just _stop_ loving someone, dammit!”

“ _It's not that simple!_ ” Lucina yelled.   
In the background, someone called to Lucina to ask what was wrong. She didn't answer.  
“Cynthia, why can't you just give up on this? You don't need to know!”

Morgan interjected. “Inigo, just close the call, _please_!”

Cynthia was shouting now, too. There was a knock on Lucina’s bedroom door; she ignored it.   
“Maybe if somebody just _explained_ this to us-”

“Maybe it's something I don't want to say out loud!” Inigo pleaded.

Morgan. “ _Leave him alone-_ ”

Severa. “Why is everyone screaming so much?”

Lucina. “This is too much right now-”

Cynthia. “Just _say it already!_ ”

“ _I'm gay, okay?!_ ”

Inigo.

He instantly covered his mouth. _Nope. Not how you do that. Not not not the kind of way this thing should be said._

Nobody said anything in the five seconds it took for him to hang up. All he knew was that whoever had been knocking on Lucina's door stopped.

He took a few deep breaths and fell back on his bed. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes.

At least Owain wasn't in the group call, right? Right. Fine. It was no big deal. He was gonna say it anyways. Now he was just- it would be-

_Oh gods._

He was just like _him_.

When Olivia came upstairs to check on her son (who hadn't been downstairs for breakfast), she wasn’t shocked to find him curled over one of her photo albums. She wasn't even shocked to see that he was crying- especially when she saw what pictures he was looking at.

No, what shocked her was that when she approached his bed and moved to put her hand on his shoulder, he looked up at her and said, “What was he like?”

 

 

Inigo hated his father.

He and his mother were only together for a few years. Inigo was born not long after the wedding, but he wasn't the reason they got married. At least, that's what he was always told. He didn't know for sure.

Apparently, the situation wasn't all that different. Everyone thought they were meant to be together. They just seemed so in love with each other- and why would anybody question it?

It wasn't that Henry was ever a bad husband, or a bad father. He did care about his family, deeply. Inigo was his pride and joy, and he loved spending time with him. He loved making his son smile, more than anything.

He wasn't a bad father- and he wasn't a bad husband. He just wasn't the right husband. Not for Olivia, anyways.

Henry was gay.

When Inigo was a little over two years old, his parents got divorced. There were no hard feelings between them. His father had simply realized that he was in love with somebody else, and he didn't want to live a life with someone he was only pretending to be attracted to. It wasn't fair to keep lying, to anybody.

Wasn't that what Inigo had just told himself?

About a year after the split, Henry got engaged and then married to his long-time best friend, Ricken. There was a shared custody arrangement, so Inigo spent roughly half his time with Olivia, and the rest with Henry and Ricken. Both of his parents still loved him dearly and treated him no differently than when they were together, and from the beginning his stepfather treated him like his own son.

Even though everything worked out fine- even though everyone was happy in the end- all Inigo could remember was the nights growing up when he would wake up to get a glass of water and hear Olivia crying through her bedroom door. He would think of how sometimes, she would look at him and smile sadly and say how much he looked like his daddy. And even years later, he knew she still asked herself sometimes (really only sometimes, when she was so tired and upset that her mind went to the worst places) why she couldn't be good enough. For him to stay.

Then he thought of Henry and Ricken, and how they were always standing in the kitchen, joking and teasing at each other as they made dinner, or sitting side-by-side on the couch, smiling just because they were near each other. His father had left his mother behind, but he still got to have this, and Olivia didn't. In Inigo’s eyes, he had taken something from her.

It really wasn't anybody's fault...

But Inigo hated his father.

As soon as he turned twelve, he asked that he didn't go to stay with Henry and Ricken anymore. Though technically he probably still could have been forced to, his father just listened to him and nodded and told him that if it made him happier, he could stay with Olivia all the time. Even though it was what he wanted, that somehow made Inigo angrier- that his father didn't even fight to keep him.

Inigo dyed his hair darker, so that he would look less like his dad. He spent any time he could with Olivia, trying to make her smile. It made him into an introverted, nervous person, because he almost never hung out with other kids- and when his mother started worrying about him because of it, he struggled to get over his shyness and make friends, so she would be happy.

He blocked his father out, so much so that he often forgot about him. He scarcely remembered what he looked like, and he didn't have many memories of anything they did together. He certainly didn't recall his stepfather. And honestly, that was fine with him.

He stopped answering the calls, and he stopped opening the cards on his birthday and Christmas.

They still came, though.

Because as much as Inigo hated his father- both of them, because hadn’t Ricken been the reason Henry left Olivia in the first place?- he (they) still loved him. Just like Olivia did.

Despite that, Inigo couldn't let go of his grudge. Growing up, he never understood what could possibly make somebody stop loving someone they were supposed to be with. That wasn't how it worked. You couldn't just change your mind like that- you couldn't just be in love with somebody else.

But hadn't Inigo just done that?

No. But. Yes. He'd just been wrong all along about how he felt.

So… Had he been wrong about that, too?

Inigo had never spoken to his mother about his father, not as a little kid, and certainly not in the five years he'd been ignoring him.

But now…

He couldn't even remember. He'd been so angry. Who was his father? Really?

What was he like?

Olivia dropped her hand. “Inigo…”

He looked back down at the photo album, sniffling faintly. He was gazing at a page that was full of pictures of them- of him and Henry, of Olivia and Henry, of all three of them together. In the few years where they'd been that. (Together.)

His mother sat down beside him.

“For starters,” she said, “Unpredictable.”

Inigo laughed.

She smiled. “He was- is- a genius. But he was always so morbid, and he never stopped making jokes. Your father lives to laugh. And to make other people laugh. It was hard to find him not smiling.   
“And- I don't know. He's just a very happy person. A lot of people think he's strange, but he's brilliant. You are a lot like him, in that way. Not always appreciated, but okay with that. It's a trait I often wish I had.”

Inigo nodded. “A happy person. That's… good,” he said. “What about his husband? My stepdad?”

Olivia sighed, and he turned. “B-but don't tell me if it's going to upset you! It's not a big deal anyways.”

“No. You should know these things. Especially now that you actually want to- I'm not going to deprive you of it. But…”  
She smiled sadly at him. In the way she did when he was little.

_You look just like him._

“I think you should be asking them these things in person.”

Inigo’s breath hitched. Did he want to see his father? Fathers?

... _yes_.

But still…

Did they want to see him?

 

 

 

Though he did not remember the person who answered the door, Inigo knew exactly who he was the second he saw him.

And, as should have been obvious, it was mutual.

Ricken’s eyes widened when he opened the door. “Oh! H-hello!”

Did he sound upset? He didn't look upset. But he kind of had a right to be… But he didn't seem like he was.

Inigo twisted his hands back and forth behind his back. “Hi…”

His stepfather almost immediately shook off the initial shock and stepped to the side. “Come in, please. Um. It's really nice to see you,” he added, and though it was uneasy, it sounded genuine.

As Inigo entered the foyer, Ricken closed the door behind him and called, “Henry? We have a visitor. You're going to want to see him.”

It only took a few seconds before Inigo heard footsteps on the stairs.

“Oh? I'm sure that-”

He stopped mid sentence the moment he saw Inigo.

 _Right. It's just… Me. Your son, who's been avoiding_ _you_ _for_ _half_ _of_ _my_ _life_. _In_ you ur _house_. _Without_ _even calling first_.

What would he do? Demand an explanation? Turn and walk right back up the stairs, and do exactly what Inigo himself had been doing all this time?

Unpredictable.

He approached his son, somewhat slowly. Inigo held his breath. What now?

It took a few seconds. Henry looked him up and down. Then- he laughed.

“You're so tall now! Taller than Ricken. Not that that's surprising, but it is pretty funny nonetheless.”

Inigo laughed nervously. What was he expecting to happen?

“I know that you're practically an adult now, but I feel like this is the kind of moment we're supposed to remember, so I'm gonna ask… Am I allowed to hug you?”

“W-what?” Jeeze. Definitely not what he expected. But… “Yeah, I mean, of course.”

Despite being asked blatant permission, he wasn't ready for it.

His father was strong, but not in the way you'd expect. It was more a sense of emotional strength, because even though he was kind of a small-build person, he put every ounce of himself into everything he did. And it was definitely here, now.

Henry pulled him in close and tight, and even though Inigo had figured that after coming to his earlier realization his anger would start to ebb, he didn't even remotely expect it to be like this. He hugged back, just on instinct.

_He'd missed his father._

Though it had taken five years to realize, it was definitely true.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ricken standing to the side, smiling. It was sort of grateful, or relieved. Like he'd just been waiting, all along, for something like this to happen.

When Henry leaned back, he wasn't crying, but Inigo almost was.

He bit his lip. “I am so, so sorry.”

Henry put a hand over Inigo’s mouth. (He smelled like lavender, sort of. Maybe pine. Just. Familiar.) “Nope. Don't get all guilty on me. This is gonna be a happy day, okay? Because I'm really glad you're here. Don't ruin it by feeling bad.”

_He's just a very happy person._

Inigo nodded, and Henry removed his hand. “Good. You're my son.” He glanced over at Ricken and grinned. “Our son. And I know you wanted to be left alone, but it still kind of sucked.”

“Yeah. I'm- yeah, I know. It just took me too long to realize.” Inigo smiled, tentatively. “And, uh, it's kind of weird saying it, but… I love you.”

Henry patted the top of his head. “I know. I love you too. Right, Ricken?”

His husband stepped closer to them, shrugging. “You tell me.”  
He first flashed a sympathetic look to Henry, then turned it on Inigo. “Your dad doesn't cry, but he missed you. I-I did too,” he added quickly, “even though I'm pretty sure little kid you wasn't a big fan of me.”

“Yeah, um. Little kid me didn't understand a lot of stuff… I'm just now kind of getting used to how love works. Which, actually, is what made me want to come see you.” He winced. “That was a little bit of a selfish reason…”

“Nonsense. All I'm hearing is that you wanted to come see us, and that's all that matters. Unless this is a severe emotional health issue thing, and you're here to kill us. Then I might have some problems,” Henry said.

Ricken shook his head and mouthed, “ _Pardon the creepy stuff,_ ” to Inigo, which his partner noticed and pouted at.

“You're no fun. What's the sense in having jokes if you can't make light of the real issues? It defeats the idea of trying to ignore them!”

“Just don't revert back into your ‘divorce jokes’ phase,” Ricken muttered.

“No promises. Now let's sit down, so Inigo can explain this whole story. My legs are so tired right now I can hardly stand it.”

Henry giggled as Ricken huffed and shoved him gently towards the couch. “Shut up, you idiot.”

Inigo sat down in an armchair adjacent to the sofa, watching the small exchange play out slightly anxiously. This still felt kind of weird. Especially since they- or at least, Henry- were acting so nonchalant about it. Like everything was just fine, even though he'd hated them for most of his life. They were just… Accepting.

Maybe that was just how they were. Or maybe it was because they were together? Ricken had been implying that Inigo’s leaving, and even the initial divorce, had kind of thrown Henry off. He didn't seem very passive aggressive about it, but Inigo wouldn't be too surprised if Ricken was wary of him, just because he cared a lot about Henry and didn't want him to get hurt again. Which, while it was a mildly threatening thought, left Inigo feeling a bit relieved. If his father absolutely had felt the need to leave Olivia, at least it had been for someone that did love him.

 _Still_.

His chain of thoughts was broken when Henry spoke. “So, kiddo-”

Ricken nudged him. “Henry, he's seventeen.”

Henry stuck his tongue out at his partner. “Quiet, you. He's not an adult yet.” He looked back at his son. “Sorry to talk about you like you're not in the room. We've kinda gotten used to it,” he laughed.

Inigo shifted slightly in his seat. “Heh. It's no big deal.”

“Anyways- why did you decide to show up out of the blue?”

Inigo relaxed a bit. At least this was something he knew the answer to.

“I, um. I don't know how much mom talks to you or if she brings me up or anything-”

“Olivia agreed that it would be best if she didn't tell us anything you didn't want to say yourself for your own privacy, but we do know most of your friends’ parents, so it comes up sometimes.”

He nodded and took a breath in. “Right. Uh. But I've been dating this girl, Lucina- I'm guessing you know who she is, since I know you guys are friends with her parents- for a little over three years now. Last night, I broke up with her.  
“It wasn't a mutual thing at all, which was kind of. Terrible. She liked me a lot, but I just… Didn't really love her like that. She felt more like a sister to me than a girlfriend, which I figured was a sign I wasn't meant to be with her.”

Henry nodded. Of course- he understood exactly what Inigo was talking about.

He kept going. “And it wasn't just that, either. I realized a little while ago that I was in love with somebody else. With… Her cousin, actually.”

Ricken raised an eyebrow. “Lissa and Frederick’s son?”

Inigo felt his face turn bright pink. “Yeah. Him. The thing is, I just… Felt so awful. About breaking up with her, just because I'd taken so long to come to terms with myself. And because I wanted to be with someone else that she knew and trusted. Plus, now basically all of our friends know- except for Owain, thank Naga- but it's all getting too out of hand and I'm pretty sure that her parents are going to murder me, and I was just kind of laying there debating what would be the most inconspicuous way to ditch town, when I finally figured it out.”

“That life is one giant self-fulfilling prophecy, and that no matter what you do, you're doomed to follow in your father's footsteps?”

Inigo half-laughed, staring down at his hands. “Yeah… I'm so sorry. That it took me so long to get it.”

“Oh stop with the sorries. They're not good for anything, I should know.”

“Right. Sorry. Oh, crap.” He winced at his own mistake, not for the first time in the past twenty-four hours. “It's just… Difficult.”

“Yeah.” His father leaned forward to tilt his son's chin up, smiling at him.

_He was always smiling._

_You're a lot like him._

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO HERES THE THING  
> I do like the idea that everyone in the fandom seems pretty fond of, where Henry is kind of his default dad. I really like Henry, and I'll take any justifiable reason to put him in a story.   
> HOWEVER   
> Henricken is my OTP  
> I thought that the idea of Olivia and Henry being together, then getting divorced because Henry was gay, would be an interesting headcanon, and fit the story pretty well. (Since it's actually something that kind of happens a lot in the real world nowadays).   
> However, I wasn't sure if the idea would feel too forced. So I asked my friend (AKA my number one sounding board), and she suggested that since Inigo is so close to Olivia in the game, he might resent his father for leaving her behind.   
> Thus realizing that he'd done the same thing, he'd want to reach out and adaaasycugi I love sentimental family bonding moments almost as much as I love gay fluff, and this story has both. YAAAY me ;w;


	3. NOTE

Heya I haven't been on archive in awhile,, I promise I'm going to update this story soon!! I have it almost done in my files, i just have yet to stick the landing I'm going for. Sorry for the immense wait and I hope y'all are having a good day!


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